Final answer:
A patient with a sibling who has active TB should be treated with a combination of antibiotics, typically including isoniazid and rifampin, to prevent the spread of the disease and the development of MDR-TB and XDR-TB strains.
Step-by-step explanation:
Treatment for Tuberculosis (TB) and Drug Resistance
When a patient's sibling has active TB, it is critical to treat the disease with the proper medication to prevent the spread and development of drug-resistant strains. Tuberculosis treatment generally includes a combination of antibiotics to ensure the elimination of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Common antibiotics used for treatment include isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) poses significant clinical concerns.
The development of MDR-TB and XDR-TB is often associated with misuse or mismanagement of antibiotic therapy. These resistant strains do not respond to the standard antibiotic combinations; MDR-TB is resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin, while XDR-TB is resistant to these two drugs plus a fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs. Therefore, for a patient whose sibling has active TB, a combination of drugs, including rifampin, may be prescribed to prevent the development of resistant strains and effectively clear the infection. Ethambutol may be part of the treatment regimen depending on the susceptibility of the TB strain.